A molecular systems architecture of asthma.

Abstract

<h4>Background</h4>Asthma is a heterogeneous inflammatory disease driven by complex genetic, immunological, environmental, and neuro-immune interactions. Modern therapeutic strategies increasingly target distinct molecular mechanisms underlying specific asthma endotypes. Emerging evidence highlights the role of psychological stress in modulating the neuro-immune axis, contributing to allergic airway inflammation. Systems biology offers a powerful framework to understand the multi-cellular and cross-organ interactions between lung and brain microenvironments that drive asthma pathogenesis.<h4>Objective</h4>To develop a molecular systems architecture of asthma using the CytoSolve^® systems biology platform and process. This approach enables a multi-layered, systems-level analysis of molecular pathway interactions across thirty-one pulmonary, immune, and neuronal cell types involved in allergic-eosinophilic and non-allergic asthma phenotypes, and identifies potential therapeutic targets.<h4>Methods</h4>A systematic bioinformatics literature review was conducted using Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) across PubMed, Medline, and Google Scholar, covering peer-reviewed publications from January 2008 to August 2025. Relevant full-length articles were curated and analyzed using the CytoSolve^® platform to construct a molecular systems architecture of asthma. The relevant literature was critically analyzed to understand the link between environmental and psychological stress triggers that drive asthma pathogenesis and disease exacerbations.<h4>Result</h4>The systems architecture identified biomolecular interactions across thirty-one cell types spanning bronchial, immune, stromal, vascular, endocrine, and neuronal compartments, including airway epithelial cells, T-cells, eosinophils, mast cells, fibroblasts, microglia, hypothalamic and brainstem neurons, vagal sensory neurons, and autonomic airway neurons. Environmental triggers such as pollutants and infections initiate cascades that promote three core pathobiological processes: airway inflammation, hyperresponsiveness, and remodeling. Psychological comorbidities, including anxiety and depression, further amplify airway inflammation through brain-lung cross-talk, contributing to neuronal inflammation and asthma exacerbations.<h4>Conclusions</h4>This system architecture generated a multilayered visual map that shows the associations between various triggers and biomolecular interactions across airway and neuronal cell types in the lung and brain microenvironment, respectively. The architecture may be utilized for target identification, discovery of single and combination therapeutics, biomarkers, and clinical strategies to treat asthma endotypes.